Agua Prieta Health Clinic

Wednesday, 03 March 2010 03:48

The family of three walked through the doors around 10 a.m.  They signed in and patiently waited to be called by the students offering free health care for people in Agua Prieta, Sonora, Mexico.

At this clinic, a 12-year-old was there because of a toothache. She went first, then her sister, and finally her mother - who is diabetic. One of the students from the Flying Samaritans struggled to use a tool to measure  blood sugar.

“It’s not working again,” she said.

After the fourth attempt she was finally able to prick the woman’s finger to measure the blood sugar. They were asked to wait for the doctor.  Later, the family picked up prescriptions in the section the students call the pharmacy.  There are books explaining some of the medications given out and if there are questions or doubts, they can turn a page to verify their facts. 

“It’s all about making sure that the people are taken care of as far as medical service goes,” said Maria Ortiz who has been working to put these health clinics on since 2004.

This family wasn’t able to get all the medication needed there, but a few blocks away, there is a pharmacy that saves the bill for the organization so that those who attended the health clinic can still pick up their items at no cost to them.

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Sometimes they have five doctors who volunteer, but this time around they struggled to find physicians to treat patients. At the last minute, the group recruited a doctor in Agua Prieta to see their patients, but the doctor was off-site, treating his own patients simultaneously. Students drove the patients across town to the doctor’s clinic in order to be able to provide a free service for them.

“Sí, sí vamos a regresar,” the mom said. “Mis hijas son muy enfermosas, y todo es gratis aquí, a veces no tenemos dinero para ir al doctor.”

Translated, she said that they will come back as her daughters get sick often and because everything is free there and sometimes they don’t have money to see a doctor. Four hours later they began walking home. This was a similar story for most of the 35 patients who were treated that day. After two hours people began to get impatient, asking Alexis Smith, vice president of the club. How much longer it would be before they got to see the doctor?

“If you wait just a little while longer you’ll be able to receive a consultation,” Smith said in an empathetic voice in Spanish.

They talked among themselves and debated leaving, but for most, the long wait was worth the free health advice and medication. Only seven of those who signed in weren’t seen by the doctor or the nurse practitioner.

Watch what the day was like as the Flying Samaritans ran the clinic for the other 28 patients who got treated. Nikki Helms reports.

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Another patient brought in her 9-year-old girl because she had an earache. Once her daughter was finished with the nurse practitioner, it was her turn to speak about her diabetes.

She wasn’t taking medication to lower her blood sugar, and when she was asked why, she responded by saying that she couldn’t afford it.

The club has done a lot for those in need but the members still wish that there was more they could do.

“We don't have all the resources necessary, yet,” said Ortiz. "I hope someday we could."

Written by Maty Cantero and Nikki Helms You are reading Agua Prieta Health Clinic articles